Late Greg Twomey heroics give Greyhound men's basketball choice win over No. 13 Bentley, 78-77, on Senior Night

February 24, 2009

Assumption 78, Bentley 77

WALTHAM, Mass. - Postgradaute forward GREG TWOMEY (Groton, MA/Groton-Dunstable) made three free throws and a crucial steal in the final 16.7 seconds as Assumption College held on for a pulsating 79-78 win over 13th-ranked Bentley University, in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball TUESDAY in the Laska Gym.

The Greyhounds who improved to 18-9 overall and 15-7 in the conference finished fifth in the overall conference standings and will host Pace University SATURDAY in a first-round game of the Northeast-10 playoffs. The Falcons, the regular-season titlist in the league had its win streak snapped a 15 and closed out its regular-season at 24-5 overall and 18-4 in the conference.

Assumption saluted the four senior members of the team before the game as guard/captain PATRICK SHEA (Salem, MA/Salem), guard/captain MITCH BAJEMA (Whitinsville, MA/Whitinsville Christian), forward MAREK KULIG (Brick, NJ/Msgr. Donovan) and student assistant COREY GAGNON (Sterling, MA/Wachusett) received "Senior Medallions" in a special presentation. Twomey was singled out as playing in his final regular-season home game.

The Greyhounds, now 10-1 in the Laska Gym this season, were led by Shea (18 points, 5 assists) on seven-for-nine accuracy from the floor, junior guard COURTLAND BLUFORD (Ft. Washington, MD/St. Vincent Pallotti) (18 points, 2 assists, 3 steals) and sophomore forward MIKE BALDARELLI (Sutton, MA/Holy Name) (16 points, 6 rebounds).

Bentley had four double-figure scorers led by senior guard LEW FINNEGAN (Lexington, MA/Lexington) (20 points, 9 rebounds), sophomore forward BRIAN TRACEY (Bow Mar, CO/Heritage) (15 points), junior guard JASON WESTROL (Brielle, NJ/Manasquan) (14 points, 6 rebounds) and sophomore guard TOM DOWLING (Rockville Center, NY/South Side) (14 points).

After Buford connected on a jumper inside the free throw line with 6:58 left in the first half the Greyhounds led 31-30. Bentley would then outscore the Greyhounds, 13-2, to move to their largest lead of the game at 43-33. Finnegan had five points and Tracey four points in the mini-run.

An 8-0 run to close out the first half by the Greyhounds made it a two-point game, 43-41, at the break thanks mostly to Baldarelli. Bluford cashed a layin on a feed from Baldarelli; Baldarelli made two free throws, a layin on a feed from Shea and then two more free throws.

The Greyhounds then opened the second half with a 23-8 run to move to a seemingly comfortable 13-point advantage at 64-51.

Bajema and the Falcons' Westrol traded hoops to start the half and then Baldarelli tied the game at 45-45 on a nice feed from Twomey. Then in succession Bajema made a layup frm Shea, Bluford scored on a nifty inside move and then feed Shea for a corner three-pointer. Bluford made two free throws before Finnegan stopped the run with a three-pointer for the Falcons and a 54-48 Greyhound advantage.

Shea then converted a conventional three-point play for the Hounds before sophomore forward JOE FREMEAU (Manchester, NH/Central) scored inside for the Falcons and Westrol converted a free throw. Bluford came back for the Hounds with a lane jumper and Baldarelli hit a 15-footer on the wing before junior center SAVOY FRAINE (Granada Hills, CA/Granada Hills) made a conventional three-pointer on a nifty inside move to make it 64-51.

However Bentley still had life coming back to make it a four-point game, 70 66, with 3:22 left. And, when Westrol converted a three-point play with 54 seconds remaining to make it 74-71 it was seat squirming time.

Twomey made the first of a two-shot foul opportunity before Finnegan made two at the other end to cut the gap to two points, 75-73, with 42 seconds left. Shea then made one free throw for the Hounds and Fremeau converted a layin for Bentley to make it a one-point game with 21 seconds left.

After Twomey made two crucial free throws with 16 seconds left to make it 78-75 his steal at the other end proved lethal for the Falcons. Fouled on the play he converted one of two at the foul line for a four-point lead. Westrol made a three pointer at the buzzer to account for the final one-point margin.

Click here for ASSUMPTION-BENTLEY box score